We're starting from scratch and looking at something that meets the travel needs of this market and meets what the public wants. – Marc Bowman
NORTH SALT LAKE — Utah Transit Authority representatives want to know what kind of bus North Salt Lake residents want to see connecting them to Salt Lake City and where they would like it to go.
UTA is considering two bus options — either an enhanced bus or a bus rapid transit system with a dedicated bus lane — to begin at 500 South in Bountiful and head toward downtown Salt Lake City. Residents were invited to provide feedback at a UTA open house Tuesday night, and comments will be accepted at the Open UTA website through Friday.
Rod Mortensen, of Bountiful, was among the handful of residents who turned out for Tuesday's open house at North Salt Lake City Hall. He filled out a comment card offering support for the bus rapid transit option, which he hopes will traverse Bountiful's Main Street and potentially revitalize the area.
"They talked about a trolley or TRAX through here years ago and I was really excited then, and didn't happen, but I'm excited to see at least a BRT," Mortensen said.
He also shared support on behalf of his family, including older children who live at home while they attend the University of Utah or work.
"My son works in Sugar House, and right now it's a lot more complicated, but he prefers mass transit," Mortensen said. "He doesn't want to pay for a car, which is great. It saves him a lot of money."
The Mortensen family shares two cars and uses mass transit. However, the hassle and time required to make several transfers just to travel a few miles to downtown Salt Lake City often prompts them to drive.
"We're just so close to downtown that if you have to take transfers and stuff, it's not all that convenient," Mortensen said. "This would totally shift our preference. My wife loves it."
UTA has narrowed the two bus options and two possible routes down from about seven options, spokesman Marc Bowman said. The proposal is a reboot after past ideas for a transit option connecting Farmington and Salt Lake City failed amid public criticism.
"We're starting from scratch and looking at something that meets the travel needs of this market and meets what the public wants," said Bowman, who said the proposals were winnowed down through phone surveys, focus groups, outreach to local government and online comment submissions.
The open house also gave residents a chance to provide feedback on existing bus routes and schedules from Salt Lake City to Ogden, offering maps they could draw on and a listening ear to hear about their busing experiences.
Whichever bus option and route are chosen, it will be years before residents could see a new bus on the road, UTA project engineer Jaime White explained.
UTA hopes to identify a locally preferred alternative and bring the necessary cities and partners on board this summer. Then UTA must fund an environmental impact study and compete for federal funding to support the idea, White said.
Email: mromero@deseretnews.com, Twitter: McKenzieRomero